Smartphone Apps Deliver Medicines in New Ways

The smartphone can be a powerful clinical tool when used to leverage health care apps.

Mobile apps are changing the treatment landscape in the United States, and pharmacists are poised to play a major role. New apps offer the potential to disclose vital health information earlier than ever before, paving the way for entirely new ways of preventing a myriad of conditions. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University recently built the MyHealthyPregnancy platform, a patient-facing smartphone app and provider-facing portal that helps identify preeclampsia risk factors and other risks related to preterm birth.1 

“In pregnancy and during lactation, there's a lot of opportunity for improving communication around safe and effective medication [use], as well as medication adherence,” lead author Tamar Krishnamurti, PhD, an assistant professor of medicine and clinical and translational science at the Pitt School of Medicine in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, told Drug Topics. “Collaborating with pharmacists to support their critical work in preventive care would be of great benefit to tools like MyHealthyPregnancy.” 

The app currently is available to interested health care systems in the United States to tailor to their specific pregnant patient populations. The team behind the app plans to provide an off-the-shelf version directly to patients, as well as expand to pregnant populations in other countries. Senior study author Hyagriv Simhan, MD, professor and executive vice chair of obstetrical services at Pitt, said that this digital tool has the potential to offer additional support and facilitate further conversation with their providers.

“Pharmacists play such an important role in maximizing the health of our communities. In designing future studies of how best to optimize the health of women and their children, in the context of social drivers of health, will necessitate partnerships with so many stakeholders, including our colleagues in pharmacy,” Simhan told Drug Topics. 

This specific app provides high-quality information, validated risk prediction, and connections to resources within and outside of the healthcare environment. Krisnamurti said there may also be a hidden benefit that comes with this type of mobile healthcare. 

“When appropriate privacy protections are in place, these kinds of apps also can facilitate communication around topics that may be stigmatizing or difficult to discuss. Sometimes the additional layer of technology makes it easier to share sensitive information with your healthcare provider, even if you have a trusting relationship in place with them,” said Krisnamurti. 

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